Bell Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic,

the show that finds the hidden treasures in your home and helps you sell them at auction.

Today I'm in Essex and I've stopped off at Hylands House,

once derelict but now restored to its former glory.

After its previous owner died,

the house suffered fire damage, theft and vandalism.

It took 20 years' work to restore the property and grounds.

This was finally completed in 2007.

During World War II it was used as an SAS camp, where notoriously one particular

soldier, as an alcohol-fuelled dare, drove an American Jeep up the grand staircase and got it stuck.

Nowadays, Hylands is more familiar as a filming location and the venue for the popular V Music Festival.

Let's hope that's the first of many treasures we see today as we go on the search for lots of

glorious antiques and collectables that'll do brilliantly when they go under the hammer at auction.

Coming up on today's Cash In The Attic, our very own Romeo sets hearts aflutter...

Blue Eyes, Ol' Blue Eyes himself?

Yes?

Have his efforts been shot down in flames?

-What about this lovely meat plate?

-No, you're not having that, sorry.

But knows how to turn on the charm.

So this was our bedroom experience.

-Lordy, no wonder we weren't included on that, Jan!

-Indeed, yes!

Will there still be any love in the air, though, when the final hammer falls?

I'm on my way to meet two ladies who have called in the Cash In The Attic

team to help raise funds for a very important charity project.

This quaint country village of Writtle in Chelmsford is home

to local resident Sue Bell, who's lived here with husband Chris

and her three sons for nearly eight years.

A well-respected member of the community, Sue can always be

relied upon to help out when needed and today is no exception.

Along with friend and neighbour Jan Cox, they're planning the trip of a lifetime for a very good cause.

-Jonty, you've got rained on, sorry about that.

-I am, I'm all wet.

I'm OK, I've got a rain mac!

Anyway, we're going to meet two ladies who are the life and soul of the village.

-Any village gossip?

-Yes, lots actually.

-Lots of donations, because it's all for charity.

-Antiques, collectables?

Oh, yes. You ready to meet them?

-Come on, then.

-Let's get inside.

-Ah, good morning, ladies.

-Hi!

-Hello!

-All ready to do the cooking?

-Yes, hopefully.

I don't think we'll have time for that today if we're going to be looking for items.

-So tell me, why have you called in Cash?

-It's me.

-Oh, OK.

-It's my husband's idea.

When I got involved in J's Hospice, he said, "I think a good way of

"getting some money for the hospice would be through Cash In The Attic."

Now, the hospice? Tell me about that. What's that about?

We're hoping to build a purpose-built hospice

for young adults aged 18 to 40 with life-limiting illnesses.

At the moment, we don't have that type of hospice in Essex.

OK. So, obviously, we'll do our best to make a contribution.

-What's the overall figure that you're looking to raise?

-£6.5 million.

-£6.5 million. OK...

-Not today!

-Not today!

We're looking for about £400.

OK, so we need to raise £400 as a donation towards the fund, which sounds fantastic.

I think we'd better crack on. Come on.

The charity J's Hospice was formed in memory of Jonathan Whiffin,

whose family recognised the need

for a young adults' facility in the area when he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.

With Sue's sense of community spirit inspiring the locals to back such a worthy cause,

we're hoping there'll be lots of quality goods on offer today.

And with expert Jonty Hearnden and his knowledge of antiques

spanning nearly 30 years, we should have everything valued in no time.

-You've found what Robert and Pauline have donated.

-This box here?

Yes, that's right. Somebody I used to work with a while ago

very kindly came up with the first donation that came up.

Right. Now, this is a box that needs serious amounts of tender, loving care,

and I see that somebody's been stripping it down on the inside.

-What's all that about?

-Well, I think they started to take off what was

the leather, I don't know, and sadly ran out of time or energy or whatever.

Well, let's take a closer look at it.

This is a writing slope, and the date's mid-Victorian.

If you look at the top here, I don't know if you've ever noticed that this is a stylised scene.

You've got brass inlay here, and you've got two stylised deer.

Can you see that? Very simply done.

And then, down on the front there, it's complemented.

It's not exactly the same. But here, the brass has all been taken away, because the timber has shrunk

and the brass has stayed the same, so it's literally just shrunk off,

for want of a better word, and that's what's happened here with this brass banding here.

Can you see that the brass itself is larger than the actual carcass?

-Yeah.

-So, that's what naturally happens.

Now, as you know, the box opens up like so,

and this flips over to reveal your writing slope. So you can see just how grand this would have been.

And underneath, there is storage, but also, can you see under here there's a hidden compartment?

-For your love letters.

-I haven't found any love letters in there yet.

No, sorry.

Not guilty, my love.

-OK.

-So, given its condition, what sort of estimate for auction, do you think?

It's around the £60 to £100 mark.

-Oh, good.

-Yes, great.

That's not a bad start, is it? I think we need to find

a few more things if we're going to reach that £400.

-Come on, then.

-Do we go this way?

It may not be something to write home about, but with a bit of TLC

the portable desk could easily be restored to its former glory.

But it's only the start of our search, so lots of rummaging still to do.

Sue tracks down this boxed set of assisted O-gauge model railway wagons

which, in such pristine condition, could stoke up our funds by £25 to £40,

while Jonty thinks he's been dished up a treat in the dining room.

Ah! Sue?

-What about this lovely meat plate?

-No, you're not having that, sorry.

Put it back. But you can have this.

What, the table?

-This table.

-OK. Tell me more.

Well, this table was bought when my oldest son was about a year old.

And we didn't have a dining-room table - we'd just moved.

So it was brilliant to have something like this that we could fold up,

the boys could play and then we could get this out at weekends and when we were entertaining and Christmases.

Well, let's have a look, shall we?

So, do you know how old a table like this is?

Well, I'm guessing it's late Victorian.

-OK. No, it's a little bit younger than that.

-Oh, is it?

Yeah, it's between the wars.

And you can tell that simply by its style and the barley-twist leg here. That magic combination...

..was very, very popular just after the First World War.

The timber that they've used here is English oak,

and you can tell that by the heavy fleck in this brown-coloured timber.

Now, how many chairs have you got?

We've got six of those chairs, which I bought at the same time.

I appreciate that they didn't come together, but I think they look really good.

OK. Now, this, in style, is Edwardian, so if you look at

the top of the back, this splat of the back here and the top rail,

this is all classical revival in its design.

So here you've got this broken pediment at the top and the urn-shaped splat.

So this set of chairs here is about 15, 20 years older than the table.

Furniture like this is really not old enough to be antique,

so it's second-hand furniture like this that has really fallen foul

in the market, because a lot of people just

want to go and now buy brand-new, modern designs, and furniture like this has fallen in popularity.

Now, do you remember how much you paid for the whole lot?

Yes, I do. We paid £250 for the chairs and the table in 1986.

The value I'm going to give you might shock you, because for the whole lot

I can only put £50 to £100 on the whole collection.

If we get £100, I'll be very pleased.

But I have to think of it that I've had all those years

of having many nice meals round it, and it's been worth it.

It may have depreciated in value, but the dining-room table is not on its last barley-twist legs just yet.

If we want to raise that £400 towards the hospice, though,

we'll need to hunt out plenty more valuables - like Sue's next find.

These two 19th-century wooden vanity cases, one complete with bottles and fittings

and the other inlaid with mother-of-pearl,

are both exceptional examples, worth a collective £80 to £120.

And has time finally run out on Jan's latest offering?

-Jonty?

-What have we got?

-What do you think about this?

-What, the mantel clock?

-Yes.

OK. No, that's perfectly saleable.

-Where's it from?

-It was originally my nana and grandad's.

So this is your clock?

This is my clock, yes. It looks very comfortable there, doesn't it?

Looks very comfortable!

Sue's been looking after it for me.

I brought it over a while ago when my auntie moved into a nursing home and we cleared her bungalow out,

left it here, and because she found such a nice home for it, I've let her look after it for me.

And I see we've got a little plaque down here, as well.

-Yes.

-What does it say here?

It says that the ship's company that my grandfather was on in the Royal Navy presented the clock to him as

-a wedding present on the occasion of my nana and grandad's wedding in 1916.

-I think it's a lovely story.

He must have been a well-liked bloke,

because that is a very good-quality clock.

Stylistically, it's absolutely spot-on.

It's an Edwardian mantel clock.

-Yes.

-And these black slate mantel clocks

came into fashion, really, in the 1880s.

-Oh, right.

-The surround is British, but the workings are always French,

and you can tell that by this cylindrical shape, and they always have an enamelled dial.

We have two holes here, which suggests that this is an eight-day movement for the mantel clock.

And it also looks in good order, because black slate tends to chip on the sides,

and if you look round here, on the side, certainly,

of the roof of the clock here, it looks in very, very good order.

-Very smooth, isn't it?

-Which is a very good sign.

Have you ever considered its value?

No, not at all, no.

Well, they were made in their hundreds,

if not thousands, so there's still an awful lot of them around.

So we're not talking about a vast fortune, but we're still talking £40 to £60.

-Oh! Yes. Well, that's good, yes.

-Happy to put that in, still?

-Absolutely.

-I think that's a lovely story.

-Oh, do you?

-Yeah.

-Good.

-Shall we go this way?

Yes, certainly.

The appraisal for the black slate clock's very pleasing at £40 to £60.

My auntie would be very pleased that the clock is going to such a good cause.

I didn't know that it was black slate, so that was a bit of a surprise, and it was very heavy.

All in all, a good find.

It certainly is, Jan. And if we keep up this momentum of uncovering such

top-notch treats, we'll have reached our target in no time.

Jonty thinks this Royal Dalton Toby jug of the suave musketeer Aramis

will have the bidders fighting to get their hands on it and notch up another £20 to £40 for us.

And while Sue and Jan might not have such a Machiavellian attitude, it's safe to say nothing gets in the way

of their goals, including a planned charity trek to Japan to raise even more money for the planned hospice.

Ah, hello!

Hi!

-You're practising, are you?

-I was, yes!

So, these are your special trekking shoes, are they? Or boots, rather.

We didn't actually intend to have the same ones, but very comfortable,

which is important when you're walking as far as we walking.

So, what is this trek that you're going to do in Japan?

It's about 50 miles, 80 kilometres,

and it's on the Buddhist trail, starting at Osaka and going round in a loop.

And some days it's trekking six or seven hours, and others it's only two or three hours.

But there's ten days of trekking, including the travelling.

-Are you in training at all?

-Sue's walked much further than me!

-Yes, I have. I don't expect I've done more than five or six miles.

-Right.

And what have you walked, then?

I've probably done about 40 or more already.

-Really? Crikey.

-Not in one go, but I've been up to the isle of Arran and walked quite a long way.

-Fantastic.

And how did you two actually meet?

Well, initially at school. We were at school together at the same time, although a year apart.

We didn't really know each other very well.

You don't tend to associate with people outside of your form or year.

And then, after that, we bumped into each other in the village.

We both moved here after we got married.

Right, well, they look fit for business, but I think perhaps if you want to change

-back into your normal shoes, I'll find out what Jonty's up to and you can catch us up, all right?

-Will do.

These are actually quite comfy.

I admire Sue and Jan's determination to do everything they can to raise money for the local charity.

But we've still got a long way to go, and stacks more goodies need to be found.

Spurred on by our chat, Jan discovers an early 20th century

Japanese tea set - which has been hidden away for far too long -

coupled with some Chinese silver spoons,

commemorative ware and novelty items, Jonty thinks they could easily

fetch £40 to £60 at auction - whilst Sue's found something that might be music to our ears in the lounge.

Is there anything in here?

Ooh! Right, here we've got some of my cousin's records, but this one is slightly different,

because it's from a friend's mother, one of the trustees of J's, and it's a signed copy.

Oh, wow! Let's have a look at that.

"Best regards, Frank Sinatra, London 1975."

Of course, he was known as Ol' Blue Eyes, wasn't he? Blue Eyes?

Ol' Blue Eyes himself!

-Yeah?

-Yes...

-We've got a signed Frank Sinatra here.

-Ooh!

Look. Look. Have a look at this.

Frank Sinatra! Wow! Well, you don't get much bigger than that.

That's wonderful. Look at that.

To have the signature on the back is truly remarkable, insofar that Frank Sinatra, what an iconic figure.

In the '40s, he was known as the big name. He was really the big name in America at the time.

But his popularity waned, really, by the early 1950s.

But he was a clever old cookie, because he then went into acting,

and 1954 he got his Oscar as best supporting actor, so he was very, very clever. So he had two careers.

I can't say that I was a fan per se of the music, but I do remember very much those Rat Pack movies

in black and white, watching those and just thinking how fantastic it was,

men all dressed up in suits and the women looking so beautiful in their dresses.

Value-wise, just this signature alone on this part of the album here has to be worth £80 to £120.

-She will be pleased.

-That's superb, isn't it?

Now, we have got some other records here, as well, which I think make up quite a nice collection.

Well, I still believe this alone is worth £80 to £120,

and the collection of the Elvis albums are certainly worth an extra large amount of money, as well.

So I'm going to let the auctioneer decide whether they are sold separately or together.

Let's hope Frank can sing his way into the bidders' hearts.

But if we're going to hit that £400 target, we'll need to sniff out some more fine treats, which is exactly

what I do when I follow my nose to these three glorious scent bottles donated by Sue's godmother.

Even though only one of them has a silver-hallmarked lid,

Jonty's confident they'll make at least £30 to £40.

And Sue's got her heart set on this vintage lot standing out in the saleroom, too.

Hey, look at this. Look what I've found.

Ooh, what a collection!

These have come from a friend of mine whose auntie died some while ago,

and she said, would I be interested in a box of costume jewellery?

So she's just brought this round, and these look very interesting items.

Costume jewellery has been around for a long time.

It was the Egyptians that had costume jewellery.

You find 18th century costume jewellery, 19th century costume jewellery,

but the heyday, really, is the '20s and the '30s.

Will there be some interest in it at the auction?

Of course. With costume jewellery, you're just buying something for the effect,

and there's a collectors' market for it, because there are designer names that people collect, as well.

A lot of these look, really, between the wars, I would suspect.

That's where most of these have come from.

But you've got some real bling items here.

I mean, look at this brooch here - that's quite extraordinary - along with these

amazing coloured glass beads.

Quite incredible. Now, would you like to wear any of these?

Have you tried any of them on?

-They wouldn't be for me.

-Not for you?

No, not for me!

I don't like a lot of bling.

But I'm sure that some of these would be very suitable for people to wear these days as well as in those times.

Value-wise, you're looking around the £50 mark, so £40 to £70, that kind of ball park.

If you've got two people who really want this collection, you never know what the price might bring.

-All right?

-It's quite exciting, isn't it?

-Excellent.

-An old shoe box, and look what it produces!

-Wonderful.

A whole host of desirable rich pickings there,

and the more the merrier if we want that new hospice set up in Essex.

Supporting the local charity is something that Sue feels very strongly about, and when

given a challenge, she takes it on heart and soul, like our expert, who's unearthed this silver-cased

open-faced pocket watch, as quintessentially English as Jonty himself and worth £70 to £90.

Although, with the unreliable British weather,

I'm not sure how useful this delightful parasol will be.

Ladies? I've found a really beautifully elegant thing here.

-Oh, yes, a parasol.

-This is just so elegant. Look at that! That's beautiful.

-Oh, wow!

It looks like a Monet painting in there. Whose is this, then?

That was one of the trustee's aunts, I think, and she very kindly donated it.

Can I have a look? Wow, what a beautiful lady's parasol.

Now, we've got a silver handle here, and it's almost like a stylised basket of flowers and, I suppose,

almost fruit, with these amber stones in the top here.

But I'm looking for hallmarks, and I can't see any, which is a huge pity,

because I think that would literally double its value just like that.

Now, if you open it up, we can really see how old this is.

Can you see that floral design?

Very 1930s. So this parasol is quite late, really.

In the 18th century, for instance, parasols would be no more

than the size of a handkerchief, with four spokes.

And then they got larger and larger through into the 19th century.

So it was all down to style, all down to the condition when we are valuing something like that.

-Now, I've also noticed that the top of the handle has a bit of indentation.

-Yeah.

Because of the damage, we're looking at £30 to £60.

-Brilliant.

-Very pleased with that. It's better than being in someone's attic.

We haven't got any more time, but we have found lots of stuff.

We've probably found everything there is to find.

We wanted to raise £400, didn't we, as a donation towards the new hospice that's going to be?

Do you think we've come anywhere near that figure?

It does sound as though we've had some good valuations, so I think we must be pretty close, yeah.

The value of everything going to auction,

bearing in mind we don't know the value of the rest of the LPs, comes to £565.

Oh, that's more than 400! Well done!

-Yeah, very pleased.

-Lovely. Thank you very much.

It's all got to be packed off to auction now,

and the next time we see you will be in the auction house.

Look forward to it. Thank you.

Sue and Jan have made us feel truly welcome here today,

and I'm pleased with the amount of treasures we've found to take to auction, which include

the Victorian walnut writing slope with brass trim, valued at £60 to £100.

That black slate clock, which was presented to Jan's grandfather as a wedding gift,

with a price tag of £40 to £60.

Hoping to raise the roof at £80 to £120, the Frank Sinatra album signed by Ol' Blue Eyes himself.

And finally, Sue's cherished dining-room table and chairs,

host to many family occasions

and hopefully off to a new home at £50 to £100.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic, it's an early let-down for our expert...

Now, our next lot Jonty's most disappointed with.

He's still searching for love letters and has found none.

..an auctioneer getting carried away...

Just so exciting! I'm all confused!

..but, if needed, I have a suitable replacement.

Do you know, Sue, I think you should be up there at the podium, to be honest with you!

Follow the ups and downs at auction when the final hammer falls.

Now, it's been just over a week since we had a good look at Sue Bell's house in Essex, and together

with her friend Jan, we found plenty of items to bring here, to Blyth & Co in Ely in Cambridgeshire.

Now, a lot of those items have been donated by people who are helping the two of them get together enough

money to start J's Hospice, a hospice that's going to be aimed at helping young adults.

So let's hope that the bidders are feeling equally generous when our items go under the hammer today.

We're looking to raise £400 in total, and that means our antiques

and collectables need to appeal to as many buyers as possible.

Already inspecting our lots is expert Jonty Hearnden,

who seems to be examining one particular item very closely.

Jonty, you're not still searching for love letters?

I'd have written you one if I'd have known you were that desperate!

-You caught me red-handed.

-But I have to say, these boxes are beautiful.

-We've got some wonderful stuff.

-We've got the black slate clock, haven't we?

-And that was a great story, too.

-Yes.

-Lovely connection.

And lots of costume jewellery. Just such a wide range - some records...

-A real, real collection.

-Lots to look forward to today.

And it's all for such a good cause, J's Hospice.

I really hope they make the money today. Are you hopeful?

-Very much so.

-OK. Well, come on, then, let's go and meet them.

Our true fate lies in the hands of the bidders, though,

and only time will tell whether we'll reach our target.

But with the likes of Sue and close friend Jan on board,

I'm sure we're in for plenty of fun and frolics along the way.

Ah, good morning, ladies!

Yes, it's nearly that time.

Yeah. So, are you looking forward to today?

Yes. Oh, it's really exciting!

-How are you feeling?

-I'm nervous.

-Are you?

-We've been anxious about

not making the money. But I'm sure it will.

We've got some really good items. People have been very generous and searched through their lofts

for some fantastic stuff, like this, so fingers crossed.

In most circumstances, we do the auction, the money's made and then off you go and do your thing.

You're actually going off trekking.

-We are, yes. Off to Japan.

-Are you still practising?

A bit, but not so much in the rain, I have to admit.

-The weather's not been that helpful.

-No.

Well, I just hope that the weather stays fair for us here today.

Lots of punters out to sell the things.

-Absolutely. Shall we go and get in position, ready to make some money?

-Yes.

-Come on, then.

If you're planning on buying or selling at auction, you will have to pay commission

and possibly other charges, so do check with your local auction house for more details.

As auctioneer Michael Palmer takes to the stand, we find our places,

too, just as Sue's first lot is shown to the room.

But will her godmother's contribution get us off to a good start at £30 to £40?

Lot 14, the scent bottles with silver rim and two other white-metal scent bottles, showing there.

Nice little lot. £5 to start. A fiver. 5 here. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10...

10 now. 12.

12, 15...

Down here at 15. 18.

At £18. You're out at the front row.

At £18. I sell, then, here seated, at £18. Are you done?

Are you having another go? 20.

Go on, you'd get on telly. 20 quid.

It's worth it!

20! We're back in at 20. You, sir?

Still up front at £20.

Done, then, at 20.

-£20.

-Not bad.

I was hoping for more.

-But that's not bad, is it?

-You're happy?

-It's the fair start.

-As long as you're happy,

that's all that worries me. As long as you're happy!

You'll hear when I'm not happy.

I can't imagine there's ever a day goes by when Sue's not happy.

But as we're £20 closer to our target,

I think we should all be pleased.

I just hope our spirits remain on a high and we get the £60 to £100 asking price for our

Victorian writing slope, with its brass bandings, stylised inlay, and not forgetting those secret drawers.

Now, our next lot Jonty's most disappointed with.

He's still searching for love letters and has found none.

However, it is a great restoration lot for somebody.

It's still a beautiful box, even without the love letters, I have to confess.

Tenner for that. Just needs a little polishing, that's all.

A tenner for it. 10 I'm bid. 10, 12, 15,

18. Back here, then, at £18. And I sell, then, at £18.

Is that it? Done at 18? 20. 22, 25...

At 25 in the corner.

It goes, then, at £25.

Make no mistake, I sell it at 25.

28. At 28 now.

It's against you. At £28.

You're out in the corner at 28.

£28. That's a disappointment, isn't it?

-That's quite good, really.

-I like you. You're so optimistic about everything.

Jonty keeps saying they should be going for more, and you're going, "That's OK!"

-I'm pleased you're pleased, but I'm disappointed.

-I know!

I'm not sure Sue's quite got the hang of this auction process.

We didn't reach half of Jonty's lowest estimate on that lot.

Just imagine what she'll be like if we make a profit,

which will hopefully be the case when the bidders see

our next piece of transport history.

We're looking for at least £25 to £40.

-Well, this stuff is popular, isn't it, all the railwayana?

-£5 for those. 5 I'm bid.

And I sell at 5. Take 6 now. 6.

7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15,

18, 20, 22, 25, 28,

30, 32, 35,

38, 40,

45. At 45. It's worth one more, sir.

At 45. 50. At 50.

55. At 55.

I sell against you.

Goes, then, at £55.

On the right at 55. 60.

And 5? At £60.

-How are you feeling?

-I'm all a-quiver now!

You wait till we get to the table and chairs!

That's more like it. What a terrific sale, and it takes

us steaming towards our £400 target and funding the planned building

of the much-needed hospice in Essex.

But there's still along way to go, and definitely not wanting

to be kept in the shade is our next floral delight.

Lot 38

is the 1930s silver-handled silk parasol.

Ah, that's unlucky!

10 for it.

Straight in. 10 I'm bid. 10, 12, 15,

18, 20, 22, 25,

28, 30. At 30 now.

I sell to the lady at £30.

Is that it? 32, if you like, sir.

32. 35.

At 35. Matches your eyes.

35, I sell over here. 38?

Goes, then, at £35. Down here at 35.

-£35!

-That's good!

-Are you pleased with that?

Oh, yes. Yeah, brilliant.

"Elated" is more like it! And that's understandable -

another good sale takes us well on our way.

Sue's good nature is infectious, and no matter what the outcome

today, we're in this one for all and all for one,

as our next character is only too familiar with.

-Right, now we've got a classic coming up here.

-The Toby jug.

Absolutely. Not just any old Toby jug, Royal Dalton. Can't get better than that, can you, Jonty?

-No. Still a big market for character jugs.

-Good.

This one is Aramis.

As in the Three Musketeers.

Hello! Yes!

Not the aftershave.

10. Sell at 10, 12, 15, 18,

20. At 20 now.

Come on, we want more than that.

-Come on.

-All done at £20? Finished at 20?

Ooh! Ooh! A bit more?

I detect a slight wobble from Sue there,

but we did come in bang on target.

Could it be the anticipation of her dear barley-twist dining table

and six upholstered chairs that are about to be sold,

hopefully, for between £50 and £100?

This is the bit I'm most nervous about, because I am aware

of the values of these items, but I would like to see it go today.

It's going to good use at the moment. We've got four dealers sitting round the table!

That's got to be a good sign!

30 quid. Let's start nice and gentle, then.

A tenner. £10. It's worth that for the wood. 10 anywhere?

10 I'm bid. 10, 12, 15, 18, 20.

At 20. Try one more, sir.

Lend him some money so he can bid again. 22 over here.

At 22 now. New money at 22.

Make no mistake, I am selling this.

In the doorway. Go one more. 25.

I know he's going to bid again!

LAUGHTER

You're not helping, sir.

Sell down here, then, at £22.

Is that it? Finished at 22?

-Ah!

-£22!

Oh, are you OK about that?

I told you so. The bidder would like to break it up and put it into firewood, so...

Well, it's gone for £22. Is that OK?

If it goes to someone who's going to cherish it and use it for dining and family

pleasures, I'm fine with that.

That was an abysmal sale,

but it seems nothing is going to get Sue down.

However, will she be so upbeat when she hears how we've done so far?

We've sold a few things. A few disappointments.

Bit of a roller-coaster ride.

Well, you wanted £400 as the donation to J's Hospice. How do you think it's gone?

I think it's a bit less than we were hoping for.

OK, well, remember, we've still got lots to sell this afternoon.

But at the moment, we'll go and have a little bit of a break. We've made £185.

-Oh, nearly there!

-Almost halfway.

-Yes.

-OK? So, I think a cup of tea all round.

Come on, follow me.

So, while everyone has a little break before the second half of the sale,

I'm dragged from my tea by Jonty to get some extra auction tips.

-Look at this.

-Ah.

Whenever you go to a general auction sale, there's always something that fascinates me, intrigues me.

-Have you got any idea what this is used for?

-Well, it's funny you should say that, Jonty.

I actually don't know what it's for, but I can tell you what I use one for, and that is, because I'm not

as tall as you, I have huge problems getting my loft ladder down,

because I can reach up with it, pull the string and it pulls the thing down.

But I don't know what it was for originally.

OK. Well, what it is used for - certainly not for lofts, but it's a bull hook.

The whole idea was to hook the ring there, like so,

so that the ring would go through, then you could tame your bull.

And if you wanted to release it, you pulled

the string, like so, as you know, and then it can be released again.

All I can say is I hope we don't see any bulls in here,

cos the rest of the items on display make it like a china shop. Come on.

The sale is already in full swing when we return to our position,

but luckily, we haven't missed any of our goods.

Our mixed bag of chinaware is up next,

but will the bidders pay £40 to £60 for such an unusual lot?

-Now, Sue, I'm going to let you explain this next lot.

-Yeah, OK.

-It's a bit of a mixture, isn't it?

-Yes, it's a combination of things.

It's a tea service, all bits and pieces put together, so it'll be interesting to see what it achieves.

£20 to start. Straight in. 15?

5. You're so generous! At 5.

Goes, then, at 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,

10, 12, 15, 18,

20. 22. At 22 now. Down here at 22.

It goes, then, at £22. All done?

Selling way below estimate at £22, that was a disappointing result,

and if we're going to reach that

£400 target, we need our items to sell for much higher prices.

Maybe Jan's Edwardian family heirloom

is what they've been saving their money for.

-This is your lot.

-It is, yes.

-The mantel clock. How are you feeling?

-A bit nervous.

Were you able to sort of prise it...?

We did. Yes, there's a hole on top of that unit now, yes!

But all for a good cause.

Yeah. £10. 10. 12.

This side at 12. Goes at 15, 18, 20,

22, 25,

28. At 28 in the middle. Sell at 28.

In the middle, then, at £28.

Is that it? 30, if you like, this side.

30 of your money. 32. Back at 32.

You can't sell it at £30, surely!

At £32. I sell, then, at 32.

Sorry, how much did you say, Jonty?

Sorry, what was that estimate?

I said 40, low end.

-But how do you feel?

-Erm, a little disappointed, but no, that's OK.

It hasn't quite made its estimate, and with a couple of low sales

already under our belt, we're starting to get anxious

about funding that new hospice specialising in respite care for young adults.

So the wooden vanity cases better impress the bidders.

-Now, what do you want for these?

-Well, I put 80 to 120 on the pair,

but I think they're really good quality.

They're lovely things, both of them, and I'm quietly confident that they should be OK. Here they come.

Both 19th century. Various bids on this. 35, 40,

5. At £45. With me now at 45, 50...

Back in front at 50. Take 5 again.

At £50. 55, 60.

At 60 here in the room.

You're out on the phone. 65.

At 65. Have another go, sir. At £65.

-It goes with the telephone bid at 65.

-Oh, a telephone bid!

-At £65 now.

I sell on the phone at 65. 70.

New money at 70. Take your 5 again. You're out on the phone. 75. At 75.

Oh, don't give up so easily, madam!

They're not even here. At £75, I sell on the phone.

It could be Partridges or Sphinx Of London. Have another go.

Try 80. 80. We're back at 80. It's against the phone at £80.

I sell in the room at £80.

85. With the phone at 85.

At 85, I sell with the telephone.

At £85, you're all out in the room?

It goes with the phone at £80.

-85.

-85.

With the phone at 85.

It's just so exciting, I'm all confused. At £85, done at 85?

-£85 with a telephone bidder.

-We got there, but it was a bit like pulling teeth.

-Yes. Hard work.

-Yes, he did work hard, the auctioneer, didn't he?

No, but that's very good, isn't it?

A sizable amount of cash towards our target.

I just hope the generosity continues as up next

is that fine British time piece, worth £70-£90.

-These pocket watches, Jonty, they always sell, don't they?

-Yes.

-Oh, good.

-But it's all down to condition and quality. And I put £70-£90 on it.

£20, I'm bid. 22, 25, 28, 30, at £30 now.

Is that it?

At £30, take two, if you will.

At £30 only. It goes, then.

At £30. The pocket watch.

32. 35, 38, 40. At 40 now.

It's against you down here, sir. At £40, I'll take your two again.

We finish then, at £40.

Are you sure? £40.

£40, that's pretty good, isn't it?

Well, I would, again, you know me, I would have liked more.

Well, as long as Sue is happy, that's all that matters,

although that £30 dent in our target isn't great news.

I just hope our collection of 1940s bling, as Sue puts it, can claw back some cash, to the value of £40-£70.

Sue, this was our bedroom experience, wasn't it?

Lordy! No wonder we weren't included in that, Jan.

-Indeed. We have the costume jewellery out on the bed.

-We did.

Nice little selection. Full of gold, silver, platinum, all that sort of stuff(!) Probably diamonds(!)

£10 to start.

A couple of quid? 2 I'm bid. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15.

Up front at 15. 18, 20.

New money at 20. 22.

22 here. 25.

At 25. Come on, madam, try harder.

At 25, I sell here in the brown.

At £25, you're both out ladies, there. I sell here down here.

At £25.

Nobody else?

Oh, the halfway mark again.

28. 30.

32.

-You gave up too early.

-Sue, I think you should be up there at the podium, to be honest with you.

Are you sure you don't want to come again, madam?

At £38, it is against you.

Try the 40. At £38...

-Oh.

-£38...

£38 for a shoebox of jewellery, it's brilliant.

Not bad at all, I have to say.

Selling just under estimate, that jewellery eventually dazzled the

sale room, thanks to the auctioneer's perseverance.

But now everything rests on our final item.

The musical lot with that signed photo

of legendary singer Frank Sinatra.

Which, if Jonty gets his way, will bring £80 - £120.

-This is our collection of records now, girls.

-Right, OK.

They have been amalgamated all into one lot.

-But the big lot for me is the Sinatra album.

-Right, OK.

I know you don't like to start high.

Let's start at, what? £30.

30 I'm bid. At 30 only now, I sell at 30.

35, 38, 40, 42, 45.

At 45 now, in front, at 45. 50.

55, 60, 65.

At 65 down here.

It goes down here at 65. Are you going to bid? 70.

-Wow.

-75, 80, 85,

at 85, 90, 90.

90. At the back at 90.

I'll take your five again.

95, at 95. I sell down here at £95.

It goes, then, at £95.

It's your last chance. 100?

£95. I think that's a very interesting lot.

The record market is quite fickle.

But you've got that autograph in there, which is clearly authentic, lots of Frank Sinatra fans.

So, £95, that's fantastic.

I'm chuffed with it because that's really very good.

And Simon, a really good auctioneer, he worked very, very hard for you.

A lot of auctioneers would have banged the gavel down

a lot sooner than that, but he eked every last penny out of the room.

Well, I'm glad he did because it's time to reveal

to Sue and Jan whether it's been enough to reach their target.

Right, OK. That's the end of the sale as far as you ladies are concerned.

So, how did you find it today?

I was nervous to start off with, but then you really get sort of carried away

with the whole thing and it's really exciting.

But there have still been ups and downs.

-But mostly ups.

-How have you done, Jan?

Very exciting. As you know, I've never been to an auction before. So, yes, I found it very exciting.

-Bit nerve-wracking.

-It's amazing, isn't it?

Waiting to hear how much we've raised.

Of course, that's the important thing for J's Hospice, isn't it?

Now, you wanted £400.

-Yep.

-Do you think you've hit that figure?

I was doing my maths. We can't be far off.

-The total is £497, which is great, isn't it?

-That's great.

-We're pleased.

-Yes, fantastic, thank you.

-Have you had a good time?

Yes, I have. I shall come to an auction again, but only when you're here, obviously!

Sue and Jan may have made £497 towards a new hospice for young adults but, not content with that,

they're off for a 50 mile sponsored trek to Osaka, Japan to help further fund the project.

Today, they're on a day out practising for the trek in rainy Essex.

But with cultural and language barriers to overcome, they realise they need to do some extra research.

Tu san ga-kay-ee?

We'll try that tonight.

We'll try that tonight.

Having mastered the art of saying hello,

they find the page of most importance to them.

Oh, shopping.

Shopping, there's shopping.

I don't think there will be much of that, do you?

No, that's a shame.

But soon, their focus returns to more serious matters and the charity trek they've signed up for.

-You've got to use your poles.

-Yes, I know why we've bought them now.

Having worked up an appetite, there's one more stop to make,

though, for their Japanese experience to be complete.

-Wow! That's lovely.

-That's beautiful, thank you.

-Isn't that pretty?

Although Jan may need some training of a slightly different kind.

I shouldn't have put this down, should I? Oops!

I think this has just really spurred us on.

It doesn't seem far off now and it's made us even more intrigued

about what we're going to see and taste in Japan.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd